The Rural We: Yonah Sadeh

“From a pretty young age, I knew that filmmaking was the thing for me,” says Yonah Sadeh, who is all of 19 now. A film student at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Sadeh grew up in Falls Village, Connecticut. Sadeh has produced films showcasing local farms, community art projects, student fiction works, and local issues such as affordable housing. His documentary, “In Our Backyard,” about the affordable housing issue in his hometown, was awarded first place in the Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative’s “Bridging Divides, Healing Communities” youth film challenge in 2021. On Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m., the David M. Hunt Library will host “Journey of a Young Filmmaker,” at which Sadeh will share two of his films and talk about his experience as a young filmmaker.

I started at a pretty young age, around seven or eight, playing around with a story through film, making home videos on mom’s computer using the Photo Booth app. By eighth or ninth grade, I knew that filmmaking was the thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I did my first “professional” gig when I was in eighth grade. A close family friend wanted me to do their wedding video. I was 14 and blown away by the stories that could be told through film. I realized I was able to tell a story my own way.

Instead of going to Housatonic Valley Regional High School, I applied to Simon’s Rock’s early college program as a good opportunity to get a head start. I graduated in 2020, then came back to the school to get an associate degree. I’ll be graduating in May of 2024 with my bachelor’s in film production.

I’ve been working on a lot of documentaries. “In Our Backyard” was a film that came out of the affordable housing project in Falls Village. When I heard this was an issue dividing our town, I tried my best to bring us together with this film. After I met with people in Falls Village, I got a grant so I could make a longer documentary about affordable housing issues in Litchfield County. I interviewed people looking for affordable housing, and people at Sharon Hospital and the local high school. They are major employers in the region and there’s a need for housing for hospital workers and teachers so they lcan ive closer to their jobs. I spoke with people who had run successful affordable housing initiatives in Kent and Norfolk. It allowed me to work in a more professional sense as I dealt with the Community Development Corp. and funders.

My goal is to highlight the community in this area, and what we’re losing in not having more affordable housing. We premiered the film last week in Millerton to a packed house. It was an amazing experience to see all these people watching my work.

In January I’m going to the Prague Film School for a semester, studying abroad through Simon’s Rock. After I graduate, I will be able to get out there and expand the freelance work I’m doing now to sustain myself on a full-time basis. I’m open to doing any kind of work — videos for nonprofits, or social media. I’m planning on staying in the area for a while.

It’s really special to be screening my films at The Hunt library. I made my first friend at story hour there when I was a kid. This is a full circle moment for me.